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Kate Kennedy Day

Jun 6, 2026, 2:00 PM – Jun 6, 2026, 5:00 PM

Cypress Lawn Cemetery, 1370 El Camino Real, Colma

Reception after: Molloy's Tavern, 1655 Mission Rd # 6, South San Francisco, CA 94080

Equal pay for Equal work

  • 1867: Elected Principal of North Cosmopolitan School
  • 1868, Nov 25, San Francisco Chronicle: Asked for increase in salary.
    1869, Jan 13, San Francisco Chronicle: “Salary of Miss Kate Kennedy fixed at $125 per month, this being an exceptional case and not to be considered a precedent.” A man in that position made $175 per month.
  • 1870, Oct 26, San Francisco Chronicle: Election for Principal of North Cosmopolitan School, Miss Kennedy and Mr. Prior were candidates. Proponent of Mr. Prior said: ”we were sacrificing our schools to forced gallantry... North Cosmopolitan Grammar School would be better off with a male than a female principal." 16 Ballots were held without an election. Finally, at the end of the night, they held a final Ballot in which Kennedy won.
  • 1874, Mar 30: California State Legislature passed a statute saying: “females employed as teachers in the public schools of this state shall in all cases receive the same compensation as is allowed male teachers for like services.”

Learn more about Kate Kennedy on Wikipedia.